What are the Requirements to Become an Actor?
5 skills you absolutely need to have…
(By Tonya Tannenbaum)
(Photo: Ron Lach | Pexels)
Did you drop out of grade school? Never finished college? Never got your diploma?
Well, I’m sorry, but for most professions, that makes you unqualified for employment. But for acting, you’re perfect!
Great training will help you tremendously. But you don’t necessarily need much training to succeed, as an actor. In fact, some of your favorite, famous actors claim to have never trained at all!
There are, however, some core skills you must have. These skills don’t require a four-year degree. But they do require a natural knack, strong determination and interpersonal skills.
Ability to memorize lines
(Photo by Ben White on Unsplash)
One day, you’ll get an audition with four pages of lines. You’ll only have one night to familiarize yourself with the lines. The more familiar you are with the lines, the better your performance. The better your performance, the better your chances of booking the role.
The ability to memorize lines quickly is a very important skill to have. It can make the difference between getting a role and losing a role.
Learning how to cold read, to understand your character’s objective and to identify the key moments in the script will help you memorize your lines faster than you ever thought possible!
Ability to perform in front of others
It’s only natural for humans to fear the judgement of others. The fear of being judged negatively for your performance is what actors call “stage fright”.
Stage fright is a condition that affects every actor, whether they are willing to admit it or not. To be successful as an actor, you must be able to recognize your fear without being bound by it. You must be able to overcome it.
Ability to take rejection
(Photo: Shvets Production | Pexels)
The ability to take rejection after rejection and continue to soldier on is, perhaps, the most important requirement. You will be rejected time and time and time again.
You will be up for a role, do well in the audition, be “pinned” or put on “avail”, get your hopes up… Then, you’ll get your heart broken when they choose someone else for the role! And this process will repeat itself many, many, many times in your acting career.
Can you bounce back from disappointment? Will you approach the next opportunity with optimism or pessimism?
Those are the key questions.
Ability to have financial stamina
(Photo: Michael Longmire/Unsplash)
You will work one day on a commercial and earn $8,000. You will feel like your acting career is finally taking off. Then, you won’t work again for a whole year!
Your whopping $8,000 check will evaporate in time, and you’ll be back to square one.
Do you have the financial stamina to survive the times when you aren’t working? Do you have the ability to obtain employment to supplement your income?
Ability to work well with others
You’ll be working with other actors, directors, crew members, casting, makeup, costume department, producers and writers. And that’s just on the production side.
Away from the production, you’ll need to work well with people on the business side. That includes your agents, managers, publicists and accountants. It truly is a team sport.
Communication is vital. Working well with others is a key requirement.
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